(no subject)
Windows XP is just being silly. It tells me it's "lost" my local* profile, suggests that it could have become "corrupted", and insists on logging me on to a generic temporary profile, which is pale blue where it should be pale pink, and wrong in most ways. And apparently to rectify this I have to create two other profiles. Really, Windows XP.
Elective update
Today I mailed a package to Kenya, as planned. I've never sent post to Kenya before. I hope it gets there safely. The package has passport sized pictures of myself and Papia, and copies of bits of our passports, so if anyone intercepts it, they could potentially use it for evil. Like, carry out crimes and scams and atrocities and stuff, and frame us. But first they'd have to surgically alter their faces.
This afternoon, I went to have the said photos taken at my friendly neighbourhood (local*) cornershop, and as I was about to leave, remembered that the cornershopman had once mentioned something about having lived in Africa. He (like the majority of cornershop owners) is one of the generation of people from the Indian subcontinent whose ancestors went to Africa during colonial times, and who came over here towards the end of colonial rule. So I asked him if he knew anything about Kenya. He took a deep breath and said: "Two words: don't go . . ." and gave me an earfull that lasted 20 minutes about how horrendous and crime-ridden and cesspit-like Kenya is, how much I'd get beaten and robbed if I went there, and how I should steer clear of Africa in general. He called to his wife: "Listen! This girl wants to go to Kenya . . ." and then she came out and proceeded to reiterate everything he'd said, additionally illustrating her points with examples of people she knew who'd gone and were sorry.
And in the meantime, customers came and went, and joined in, suggesting other places for me to go. One guy kept saying "Go to Goa, man", and the cornershopman was dismissing this as "Oh he's only saying that because he likes the cheap drugs." The man then said, "Oh, if you want those, Jamaica's the place. Within a minute, right, of getting off the plane, I got propositioned -" to which a lady said "You certainly haven't been to the Roman Road on a Friday night, don't have to go to Jamaica, mate." And everyone in the shop laughed, even my 90+ year old former neighbour Vi. [See how drugs bring people together?]. And there was this finalist student apparently at my uni whom I'd never set eyes on before who also happened to be there, photocopying revision notes, recommending Sri Lanka as a good elective destination. And all these other strangers, giving me advice. Surreal.
At the end, the cornershopman was like, "That's just my opinion - Look, you should just go into lots of cornershops, and ask the same question you asked me, and see what they say. Get more opinions, innit."
*What's all the shouting for we'll have no trouble here
Elective update
Today I mailed a package to Kenya, as planned. I've never sent post to Kenya before. I hope it gets there safely. The package has passport sized pictures of myself and Papia, and copies of bits of our passports, so if anyone intercepts it, they could potentially use it for evil. Like, carry out crimes and scams and atrocities and stuff, and frame us. But first they'd have to surgically alter their faces.
This afternoon, I went to have the said photos taken at my friendly neighbourhood (local*) cornershop, and as I was about to leave, remembered that the cornershopman had once mentioned something about having lived in Africa. He (like the majority of cornershop owners) is one of the generation of people from the Indian subcontinent whose ancestors went to Africa during colonial times, and who came over here towards the end of colonial rule. So I asked him if he knew anything about Kenya. He took a deep breath and said: "Two words: don't go . . ." and gave me an earfull that lasted 20 minutes about how horrendous and crime-ridden and cesspit-like Kenya is, how much I'd get beaten and robbed if I went there, and how I should steer clear of Africa in general. He called to his wife: "Listen! This girl wants to go to Kenya . . ." and then she came out and proceeded to reiterate everything he'd said, additionally illustrating her points with examples of people she knew who'd gone and were sorry.
And in the meantime, customers came and went, and joined in, suggesting other places for me to go. One guy kept saying "Go to Goa, man", and the cornershopman was dismissing this as "Oh he's only saying that because he likes the cheap drugs." The man then said, "Oh, if you want those, Jamaica's the place. Within a minute, right, of getting off the plane, I got propositioned -" to which a lady said "You certainly haven't been to the Roman Road on a Friday night, don't have to go to Jamaica, mate." And everyone in the shop laughed, even my 90+ year old former neighbour Vi. [See how drugs bring people together?]. And there was this finalist student apparently at my uni whom I'd never set eyes on before who also happened to be there, photocopying revision notes, recommending Sri Lanka as a good elective destination. And all these other strangers, giving me advice. Surreal.
At the end, the cornershopman was like, "That's just my opinion - Look, you should just go into lots of cornershops, and ask the same question you asked me, and see what they say. Get more opinions, innit."
*What's all the shouting for we'll have no trouble here